


What One Year Brings

by LegendofCarl



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Sometimes there will be a dip into darker territory, a hint of slow burn, a pinch of mutual pining, but nothing graphic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-14 14:07:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17510036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegendofCarl/pseuds/LegendofCarl
Summary: Young and naive; Lotor longed for a chance to prove himself to his father. A chance to show the Emperor of the Galra Empire what the Prince was capable of. This was his chance. Charged with leading the quintessence mining operations on the Anura'tar colony, Lotor quickly finds himself thrust into a whole new world  when he witnesses first hand exactly how his father's Empire has been operating. Lotor thought he had everything planned out, down to the last little detail. But there was one thing he was not expecting, someone that could change everything.I'll add appropriate tags as the story progresses.





	1. Culture Shock

Lotor found himself pacing the same six steps in one continuous loop. His father had approved his request; he was going to run one of the mining facilities on a recently colonized planet. A chance to prove to his father that he is more than capable. It was immense pressure and he knew there was little room for error.

Lotor had grown up quite sheltered within the Empire. Zarkon rarely allowed him to leave the Central Hub, and even once Lotor was finished with his training with the Dayaks he was still forced to remain at the Central Hub and out of Empire affairs. Lotor had spent quintants convincing his father to allow him the chance to run one of the small mining facilities, that he would not regret it. And Lotor had every intention of keeping his word. Every intention of proving to his father that there could be a better way than the old system of slowly draining planets to their extinction.

A faint purr called to the Prince. He turned his head, finding Kova perched atop the control deck staring at him. Kova had been one of the only good things throughout the Prince’s life, something that was his and his alone. A friend. Lotor cherished his furry companion, and as he grew older he was pleasantly surprised that the companion stayed by his side, defying all laws of nature. He knew his mother, Honerva, had once experimented on the creature with quintessence. He had discovered this centuries ago when he snuck into the witch’s lair and found an Altean science log detailing the results. Despite finding such accounts, Lotor was baffled that the small creature had managed to survive this long.

Lotor reached out, giving his companion a chance to hop onto his arm and race up to his shoulder, Kova’s favourite perch. It was not an uncommon sight to find Kova resting on Lotor’s shoulder, watching those around the Prince and silently judging them with his icy stare. Lotor let out a soft sigh, turning the monitor on, squinting slightly as the faint violet hue burned into his eyes. He needed to go over everything before arrival; he needed to be prepared for every possible situation.

Lotor stopped, turning his head to watch the stars flit by as the cruiser rushed past them, barreling towards his final destination. A Galra occupied planet, one that was vibrant and lush yet primitive. From the reports he had read, Lotor gathered that the people were simpler, weaker. A race that had never left their terra. He imagined this was why the quintessence yields were so low; the people had no sense of what they were trying to accomplish, no sense of the grand scheme. This would be something to rectify immediately.

The Prince had many plans for how to improve the colony, all of them dependent on varying factors and conditions. He had thoroughly analyzed every possible outcome, good and bad, and had been planning accordingly. Lotor wanted nothing more than to please Zarkon, to gain his father’s approval, and he _knew_ he could succeed.

“Are you alright Prince Lotor?” a tall, bulky woman asked; her uniform signified that she was the ship’s communications officer. Lotor could tell at first glance that she was not pure Galra, if the fur on her skin and large pointed ears on her head were anything to go by.

“Yes Vara, I am quite alright,” Lotor replied as he returned his eyes to the monitor, going over the information provided by the previous Commander in charge of this colony, Braix. The reports were curious to the Prince, as the Commander seemed to just vanish. Lotor would have to investigate what had happened to Braix, but for now he had to prepare for the people of the planet that the mining facility was located on. “What do you need?”

“These reports were just sent in from Central Command about the colony,” Vara replied as she handed Lotor a small datapad, “you will find the information on this device.”

“Thank you Vara, that will be all.” Lotor ushered her away and flicked on the data pad to review the reports.

There were a handful of reports of a resistance. News that made Lotor worried. Even if those reports were several deca-pheobs old, they were not a good indication of an easy transition. Resistance meant unrest. Unrest certainly would not pave the way for peace. No, not at all. He decided to review the compiled reports made about the denizens of the planet once more, one final chance to prepare before meeting them face-to-face. His brow narrowed, the reports only indicated the date of their attacks and the number of casualties, no motive. Lotor would have to investigate this further once he was on the planet.

“Prince Lotor we will be arriving at Planet Anura’tar in two doboshes,” a Galra grunt stated, holding her fist to her chest and standing proud. Udri, she had a light, mauve tinted skin tone and two short horns on top of her head pointed back. Lotor quietly nodded before turning his attention back towards the screen in front of his face. His eyes scanned over every single detail in the reports, making sure everything was put meticulously in place. _Nothing_ could go wrong. If it did, then it would set back all the hard work he had put into gaining his father’s approval to run the colony, ruining his chance to prove himself.

Lotor glanced out at the tiny emerald dot as it quickly became larger. As the ship approached closer, that tiny emerald dot revealed large rich pools of blue mixed with a chorus of greens and yellows. _Breathtaking_. Lotor never had a chance to visit the occupied territories, instead being forced to go through years upon years of testing with the different Dayaks. He glanced over towards the two moons, tiny oblong shaped rocks hurtling around their planet.

_Anura’tar._

There was tension in Lotor’s throat, a choke of nerves as he made his way towards the exit ramp where he would make his first address to the denizens of this planet. Lotor walked down the hall, followed suit by eight sentries walking in unison. He had always preferred working with sentries, there was a certain ease he felt around them. He never could place what it was about them that set him at ease, but he had no objections when his father told him his crew would mostly consist of sentries for this assignment. Lotor swallowed the tension in his throat, stepping towards the platform to stand at the ramp doors as they opened.

Lotor quickly learned upon first glance of everything that all of the research he had done to prepare for this was for naught. Certain words from the reports lingered in the Prince’s mind...

_Primitive. Simple. Weak._

Yet, when Lotor looked out at the sight before him he saw anything but. He stared in awe as he took in the marvelous architecture before him, the way the buildings twisted and curved, almost seeming as if they were apart of the natural environment. Vines blended in with the buildings and various different kinds of trees lined the outskirts, creating a vast sea of greens behind the city. Lotor’s eyes continued to scan over his surroundings, noticing large pools of turquoise water along the outskirts of the city as well, with streams of water channeled towards each of the large structures. His eyes flitted over to land on the largest building; a massive structure with ornate curves and swirls, and colours that blended perfectly with the natural environment . Truly an exquisite feat of engineering. Lotor was left baffled by the reports he had spent the last few pheobs going over as research. None of what the reports seemed to say was accurate thus far. But there was one last place he had yet to look to for confirmation—to the people.

The crowd of Anura denizens stood in silence as they watched Lotor make his way down the ramp, Kova wrapped contently around his shoulders. Lotor could feel the unrest emanating from the crowd, the subtle yet distinct glares from those in the distance. Lotor recognized this feeling all too well. Those stares. They were all too familiar for the Prince. The Anura hated him, maybe even more than his own people did. Lotor refused to let his expression waiver, instead hiding his disappointment behind a cold, monotonous expression.

He made his way towards who he presumed was the leader of the Anura. His eyes trailed over her, a tall slender woman with pale green skin and vibrant violet eyes. She had several symmetrical markings across her face, under and above her eyes. Lotor’s gaze lingered a moment longer; she had a soft face with a small nose but there was something else there that struck him as curious—that soft smile which sat upon her lips, and how it was almost inviting him in. It put the Prince on edge.

“Prince Lotor,” she stated, bowing for the Prince, “Welcome to Omuli, capital city of Anura’tar.”

Lotor continued to look her over, his eyes lingering on the antennae attached to the organ on her head, wondering what purpose it served. It was a darker shade than the rest of her flesh, matching the same hue as the moss which coated the planet. Her dress was long and a variant of green that complimented her flesh tone well; a dark cape sat on her shoulders, wrapping around her loosely.

“You must be Ven’tar,” Lotor replied looking deeper into her eyes, sensing an unease within. Such a kind smile, yet so much disquiet hidden beneath; an expression he had never seen on anyone before, and it left him questioning what had happened to make her so nervous.

Kova shifted, and lifted his head to look down at the woman. She tensed, and Lotor instantly understood where at least some of the unease was coming from. The Prince smiled gently towards Ven’tar, before speaking, “Relax, his name is Kova and he means no harm.”

Lotor lifted his arm up to scratch under Kova’s chin. He nuzzled his face softly into Lotor’s touch, purring contently as the Prince continued. Ven’tar’s unease slowly faded as she watched Lotor with Kova. He was being so kind and gentle to such a small creature. It made her chest feel a little lighter, her stomach a bit less unsettled.

Ven’tar continued to watch the pair carefully. The way his brow softened as his attention focused on Kova, the gentle smile that tugged at the corner of his lips, how at ease Kova was in Lotor’s presence. Her eyes lingered over Lotor's face, taking in each sharp line and point. He was indescribably beautiful.

"I would like it if you would show me around," Lotor asked, his voice shaking her from her thoughts. Ven'tar didn't know how long she had been staring at him. Hopefully he had not noticed. She looked up at him with a soft smile. He was still looking at Kova. "And if you could acquaint me with your customs as well," he finished, focusing his attention back toward Ven'tar.

The two marks above her eyes shot up in surprise. She was having difficulty finding the right words to say. He was the first member of the Galra to ask about her people's customs. Quite unsure as to how she should respond, Ven’tar let herself process his request for a moment before finally replying,  "I will gladly show you around, prince Lotor. Please, follow me."

Lotor could see it now, the force being pushed out behind that kind smile. The unease again. Ven’tar turned to lead him towards the center of the square and he followed closely behind, taking note of the people still staring at him with a suffocating silence. Lotor found it unsettling, as if they’d jump him at any given moment if the circumstances were right. It left him completely perplexed. Why were the people so apprehensive? What did those reports leave out?

Lotor listened carefully as they walked past the crowds of Anura. He caught faint murmurs and whispers, some questioning if he’d be just as cruel, others saying of course, he’s the Emperor’s son. A frown grew over his lips as he continued to listen to the gossip, understanding each word perfectly. That struck the Prince as odd. Surely the Anura had their own language, so why would they not use it in private conversations? Lotor was finding things increasingly concerning, wondering what exactly commander Braix was doing here before his disappearance.

He followed Ven’tar as she led him out of the square and away from the crowd. She stopped her steps and pointed towards a Galra structure in the distance. “The mining facility is located—“

“I know where the facility is located Ven’tar. But first, I would much rather learn about your people,” Lotor cut her off. He had plenty of time to go over details of the facility. Lotor wanted to focus on the people, and the questions that were burning away at him.

Ven’tar was shocked. She never expected the Prince to be so interested in her people. Every thought she had about him before his arrival had her anticipating his cruelty being worse than commander Braix’s had been, but now she was unsure. He seemed so genuine and eager and she was left confused.

“Very well prince Lotor,” Ven’tar replied turning towards him. The unease in her eyes had diminished, and was overtaken by a burning curiosity which rivalled the Prince’s own. “What would you like to know about us?”

“For starters—“ Lotor’s eyes gazed over the crowd, watching everyone intently, “—why does it appear everyone here only speaks Galra?” Lotor asked. Ven’tar’s smile crumbled into a thin line, heavy eyes fixated on the ground.

“Ven’tar?”

“We are not allowed to speak our tongue anymore, as ordered by commander Braix when he and the Galra first took control of Anura’tar. If we are caught...” Ven’tar trailed off quietly, treading on her words lightly. Lotor was beginning to see why she was so afraid to speak now. She was unsure of him, of how he would treat her and her people. Despite the fact that he had shown no sign of aggression toward her, she was still so uncertain, something that left Lotor feeling guilty. He may not have been responsible for what happened, but Lotor was determined to rectify every injustice committed against the Anura.

“That simply will not do,” Lotor stated, his lips pressed into a thin line. Even with all of his meticulous planning Lotor was not prepared for this outcome, to find out that the Empire has been wronging these people. He was determined to show the Empire— _his father_ —that there was a better, more compassionate way to work with others. Lotor knew where the first place to begin resolving these wrongs would be. “This ends today.”

“What do you mean prince Lotor?” Ven’tar asked, curious as to what the Prince had planned. She watched him as he stood firm and turned towards the crowd, her eyes widening once he began to address the crowd.

“I am prince Lotor, son of Emperor Zarkon,” he called out, gauging the reaction of the crowd, listening as silence fell upon them before continuing, “I am here to replace commander Braix and to run the mining facility located here on your planet of Anura’tar. However it has come to my attention that there are certain issues which require immediate rectification.”

Lotor watched as curious eyes fixated on him, filling him with a newfound confidence. He finally had the power to change something, the opportunity to have others listen to him. He continued, “From now on all Anura are encouraged to speak their language with **_no_ ** risk of punishment. Lastly, following the break of dawn tomorrow you will all find me here, prepared to listen to each and every complaint you have with the way the Empire has handled our operations here on your planet.”

Ven’tar was taken aback. The Galra Prince had not even been on Anura’tar for an entire varga and he had already shattered many of her beliefs involving what to expect with the Galra Empire. She looked at him, how sincere his expression was, and couldn’t help but smile. She felt a tinge of excitement ringing through her over the potential of her planet’s future with the Empire.

Lotor looked out toward the people of Anura’tar. Their expressions were mixed with confusion and distrust, most seeming to brush off his words as nothing more than empty talk. Mumblings and murmurs filled the silence as Lotor watched them all. He didn't expect them all to trust him openly, not so easily. But Lotor thought this would at least be the start to something entirely new.

Ven'tar watched as he turned back around to face her, his eyes were distant in thought, but his expression was resolute. He seemed so confident in his abilities. Ven'tar was desperate to experience that same confidence. Perhaps she could learn from him too. "My Prince shall I show you to somewhere you can eat?" she questioned, watching Kova wrap his tail loosely around Lotor's neck.

Lotor paused for a moment, lost in thought, before replying, "That sounds like a terrific idea Ven'tar."

Lotor was extremely curious about the cuisine on Anura’tar. Aside from describing it as grotesque and unnatural, the reports rarely discussed such topics and, if he was honest, this only served to heighten  his curiosity.

Ven’tar nodded and smiled towards Lotor, leading him towards one of the nearby food vendors off on the side of the city square.

The smell was quite enticing, spicy and greasy. But the visuals left much to be desired. Lotor understood the descriptions in the report now, and found them to be a slight exaggeration. Before him was a variety of fried native insects, _large insects_ , as well as small whole lizards and birds, scales and feathers and all. Unnatural perhaps. But not entirely grotesque—just different from the synthetic foods that the Galra had grown accustomed to since the destruction of Daibazaal. The Prince was beginning to realize why this base had such a consistently high food supply order. Another problem that needed to be solved.

His eyes scanned over the selection, unsure of what he was brave enough to try. Meanwhile Ven’tar found little difficulty pointing towards one of the fried lizards. “Two fried croks please, Faley,” she asked, smiling toward the vendor. Lotor watched Faley, taking note of the differences between him and Ven’tar. The slight colour variation of the organs on their heads. And their hands, how Faley’s seemed to be an almost complete version, with webbing between each of his four fingers.

Lotor watched her pull out a small satchel filled with different coloured gemstones. She grabbed two blue stones before turning her attention to Lotor, “Would you like anything Prince Lotor?”

Her voice bubbled with something unfamiliar to Lotor. _Kindness_ . His eyes travelled from her hand to her eyes, hesitating once they made contact. She was looking right at him, not _through_ him like most others always did. Like the crowd earlier had—like his father does. No, she _saw_ Lotor, and that left him feeling unnerved. He had spent so much of his life already navigating a world where he was invisible, so to now be thrust into the spotlight...

_He wasn’t prepared for it._

Lotor knew he’d be looked to as a leader on this mission, he expected it. However he didn’t expect this feeling, this pressure, which came from finally being noticed, from being listened to.

“Prince Lotor?” Ven’tar’s voice called him out of his thoughts.

“Ah—yes if you do not mind Ven’tar I would like one of those—slug things.” Lotor was unsure at what he was pointing at, assuming it was some type of native slug, but he knew when Ven’tar laughed softly that he wasn’t entirely correct.

“It’s a ver root; it’s sweet and sort of sour. Would you still like one? Or do you want one of the actual slugs?” Ven’tar asked, pointing towards a long, thick fried food item in the centre of the selections. Lotor shook his head and Ven’tar smiled, grabbing another small blue gem from her hand and placing them on the counter of the food stall. “One ver root as well please.”

The merchant nodded, “Of course Ven’tar—“ and turned around, grabbing the requested items before handing them to Lotor and Ven’tar. Lotor only briefly caught the look of disdain on the merchant’s face as he and Ven’tar walked away from the stall.

As they continued to walk along the path, Lotor watched in amazement as Ven’tar ate one of the fried croks, bones and all. No wonder the reports called them primitive, the Prince thought to himself. Ven’tar quickly swallowed before asking him, “Is something wrong Prince Lotor?”

“Forgive me, but is it common for Anura to eat the bones as well?” Lotor asked, eyeing the second fried crok in her hand. Ven’tar let out another soft, bubbly laugh as she held up the other fried crok in her hand.

“Not really common for all animals, but certain one’s bones soften up very nicely when they’re fried so we tend to eat them as a whole,” Ven’tar replied, her eyes fixated on the food in her hand before biting off one of the legs. Lotor nodded, his curiosity increasing. Ven’tar noticed him staring intently at the Lizard in her hand. “Would you like to try some?”

She held her remaining fried crok out for him, a tender expression on her face as she watched Lotor lift up his own hand to take it. He bit off the small crok’s head, the crunch of snapping bones vibrating throughout his skull, however Ven’tar was right, it was much softer than he had anticipated. The flavors were surprisingly enjoyable as well, salty and sour, something the Prince would definitely try again.

“That was delightful Ven’tar,” Lotor admitted, smiling at her. She returned his smile, taking back the fried crok from the Prince as he decided to try the ver root he had ordered. Biting into it he discovered how right Ven’tar was; it was so sweet and soft that the Prince barely noticed the hints of sour creep in behind it settling over his tongue. His brow shot up in surprise, he was beginning to suspect that those who reported on the local food had never even tried it.

“I’m glad you like it Prince Lotor.” Ven’tar beamed, it was bringing her a new found confidence to see such a positive reaction from the Prince. Kova stood up on Lotor’s shoulders and stretched out before jumping off and trailing behind them as they continued walking through the city square.

“Yes it’s exquisite,” Lotor replied, finishing off the last few bites before addressing Ven’tar again, “now if you would escort me to where my domain shall be.”

“Your…domain?” Ven’tar seemed confused by his statement, “—do you mean you wish to live on the surface?”

Lotor seemed just as confused as Ven’tar was. “Those were my expectations yes. Do you not wish to accommodate myself?”

_Fear._

Lotor saw the fear build up in Ven’tar’s eyes before her voice gave it away in a tremble, “No-no—never Prince Lotor. Please allow us the time to prepare your accommodations.”

“Did commander Braix not have somewhere set for himself? That will be more than sufficient,” Lotor replied. He did not enjoy the fear and panic in Ven’tar’s words and he wanted to find a way to defuse the situation calmly.

Her expression gave it away long before her words; the way the marks above her eyes shot up, and her lower lip trembled, and how she averted her gaze entirely. “Commander Braix preferred to rest on his ship.”

Lotor was certain that there was more reason to this preference, but decided not to press Ven’tar on that. Instead he decided to ask her one more question involving the vanished Commander.

“Speaking of commander Braix, do you know where he disappeared to Ven’tar?” Lotor had his suspicions, nothing concrete, but he was certain the Commander never left Anura’tar.

“Unfortunately no, no one does. One day he was giving orders to increase the length of the shifts for the workers in the mine, the next day he was gone without a trace,” Ven’tar replied, her eyes distant, lost in a deep thought as she took one final bite of her fried crok.

Lotor nodded, a mystery to solve another day. For now he needed to prepare for tomorrow’s assembly. “Ven’tar, I need you to tell me about some of the issues the Anura have been having under the leadership of the Galra Empire.”

Ven’tar paused as she watched Lotor’s expression, watched his eyes to see the sincerity shining within them. She hesitated, she truly wanted to believe he was there to help her people, to make a difference, but she worried.

“Please Ven’tar.” His voice was gentle and lured her in.

Hesitantly Ven’tar began to speak, “Punishments are unnecessarily cruel at times. And recently commander Braix decided to extend the working vargas to almost torturous lengths. I’ve already had four citizens put on mandatory bed rest, and one died as well.”

Lotor nodded, mulling over her words. He had much to work on, and much to change if he was going to improve this colony, and he had every intention of doing so. He was determined to show the Empire that there were better ways to go about this.

“Thank you Ven’tar, this is a great start to making improvements for everyone,” Lotor replied smiling softly at her. Reassuring her that her concerns weren’t merely falling on deaf ears this time.

Ven’tar shook her head and looked at Lotor, flashing him that warm and inviting smile he was first met with, only now the unease had faded away. “There is no need to thank me Prince Lotor, in fact I should thank you for your generosity for taking my people’s interests into your considerations.” Ven’tar bowed.

The two of them looked up to watch the setting suns. This was the first sunset Lotor had ever witnessed and it showed. His eyes widened at the vast array of oranges and yellows that bled throughout the sky, leaving him in awe over the simple yet elegant beauty of it all. Ven’tar’s eyes glanced over to him, and her smile softened. It brought warmth to her heart to see him so enamoured by the view. The two of them stood together for a moment, enjoying the sight in a quiet peace with each other.

It was Lotor who broke his gaze first, turning his attention towards Ven’tar, “I look forward to working with you from here on out Ven’tar. But for now I shall be retiring to my ship.”

“Peaceful slumbers prince Lotor.” Ven’tar bowed, lifting her head to watch the Prince his back turned to her, stepping towards his ship.

Lotor nodded quietly in response as he walked away. But there would be no sleeping tonight, no.

The Prince had much work to do before the break of dawn.


	2. Break of Dawn

Lotor walked down the path leading towards the square, watching as the twin suns slowly began to rise in the amber sky. He had found no sleep last night as he worked instead to prepare for the days ahead; he wanted to improve the efficiency of Anura’tar’s mining facility, and begin preparations for the Empire’s future plans to fully colonize the planet, but first he needed to find a way to ease the tensions between the Anura and the Empire. Lotor let out a heavy sigh. This was turning out to be much more of a challenge than he had anticipated. But he wouldn’t yield.

Kova was trotting faithfully behind the Prince, having turned his master down for a more leisurely ride on his shoulder. Lotor looked back and smiled fondly at his dear companion. One who had been by his side for many deca-pheobs and would continue to stay with him if his seeming immortality was any indication. Kova was one friend Lotor had never doubted, a loyal pet for the Prince. Over the years Kova had become his greatest tie to his lost mother, Honerva. However, one thought he always pushed to the back of his mind was why the witch would have had such a creature in her possession. 

No matter, Lotor had no time to dwell on such thoughts.

Each step down the path brought him closer to finishing off what the Prince thought would be the simplest of his tasks; but he would be proven remarkably wrong on this assumption. He approached the square; surprised to find it already quite lively with vendors he had not seen the previous quintant. These vendors seemed to solely focus on produce and meats native to their planet. Lotor watched the crowd of people weave around each other; mothers and fathers with small children strapped to them or following closely behind, and even some of the street food vendors Lotor had seen the previous day were bustling about.

Lotor had never known what it was like to grow up under the warmth of a star, instead he was a child who had been raised in the frigid void of space. The Prince wondered if this was a common thing among planet dwellers, this sense of community, of growing together under such an immense warmth—a  _ peaceful _ warmth. It was an inviting sensation, something that entirely contradicted the unnerving stares he received from the Anura.

The stares Lotor could easily have mistook for glares. His eyes moved over the crowd, catching the odd glare thrown his direction before they quickly turned away. Not unlike what he was used to growing up. Those stares that burned holes into his being, holes which left him exposed and vulnerable, that forced him to become twice as much as the rest of the Galra. It was the very reason he had to continue onward. He absolutely could not afford to yield. 

_ Not now. _

“Attention, subjects of the Galra Empire—“ Lotor’s voice rang through the crowd, but no one gave him any attention. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and relaxing his shoulders before continuing, “—it is I, prince Lotor. As I have promised, I am hear to listen to your grievances about the manner in which the Empire has handled our business here.”

The crowd continued to ignore him. Lotor’s mouth flattened into a tight line as he thought about what his next step should be. Must he be more direct? Or should he wait, and hope that perhaps a brave soul would come forward and be the first to express their concerns. He watched Kova wander off into the distance, his tail flicking back and forth in excitement over the unfamiliar scents. Lotor decided to wait

He waited.

And waited.

Lotor waited for what felt like vargas. He watched as the vendors changed booths. Some of them packed up their wares and left. Others were just beginning to set up. A few of the vendors looked familiar—they were the street food vendors from the previous quintant. But most were new to him, carrying various fascinating looking goods. He watched...and waited. Yet as all these people walked about, not one paid him any attention. They continued on with themselves as if he were not even there.

As Lotor continued to wait, Kova trotted by, carrying a large insect triumphantly in his mouth. It was a colourful insect with eight symmetrical wings and a long body, and it lay broken inside of Kova’s fang’d jaws. The faintest of smiles tugged at Lotor’s lips as he watched his little friend proudly drop the insect at his feet. Lotor crouched down, reaching his hand out and gently scratching under Kova’s chin. “What a wonderful prize you have brought before me.”

Kova purred loudly in response, pushing his face into Lotor’s hand and rubbing against it. A loud sigh escaped Lotor’s lips as he picked Kova up, gently leading his companion onto his usual perch and looking out towards the crowd once again as he stood up

Lotor was growing tired of waiting. It had been at least three vargas since he made his announcement.  Perhaps he should have settled on a more direct approach after all. No matter, he would just start now. Better late than never. He walked up towards an Anura citizen. They looked similar to Ven’tar and Lotor quickly began to suspect that sexual dimorphism was not common among the Anura people. He did notice a few small differences, like how the shade of the organ on this Anura’s head was a much more vibrant green than Ven’tar’s was. But there was one variant which caught his full attention—their arms.  This Anura citizen had arms with ornate and intricate patterns running all along their skin, and save for the markings, which were light green in color, the shade of their skin was all one dark green hue. There was also webbing between each of their four fingers. Ven'tar's arms had been distinctly dual toned and her hands had been almost skeletal in comparison, with thin finger-like appendages at the ends.  Such a curious difference. It was something he would have to ask Ven’tar about, but for now he cleared his throat before speaking, “Greetings, I am prince Lotor and I am here to take notice of any dissatisfaction that you or your peers have experienced since the Galra have come to your planet.” Lotor put on his warmest smile in an attempt to appear more inviting, but unfortunately the Prince was still met with a cold stare.

“Everything is fine prince Lotor, we have no complaints here.”

The Anura turned and walked away from him, leaving Lotor baffled. He knew there had to be something, some reason why these people were so cold towards the Galra. There had to be a cause for this resentment, and he was determined to find the root of it.

Lotor perked up as a familiar voice reached his ears. Off in the distance he could see what appeared to be Ven’tar talking with Commander Braix’s Lieutenant, Miak. The conversation was faint, the most Lotor could make out was festival as the two talked back and forth, but Lotor could see the distress becoming more and more evident on Ven’tar’s face as the conversation continued. Something churned inside of him, an instinct he never experienced before, one that carried him over to where the two were arguing.

As he approached, Lotor heard Ven’tar speak, “Lieutenant Miak please, it really would mean so much for my people, and now that commander Braix is gone there really isn’t any reason why we cannot.” Her voice was weak. She seemed nervous—Lotor could practically hear her heart pounding from where he stood. 

“The answer is no, that festival is disgusting and commander Braix was right to—“ Miak was unable to finish his thought once he noticed the Prince arrive behind Ven’tar, observing the two of them, “— Prince Lotor, to what do we owe the honor of your presence?”

Lotor reached up to brush his hand against Kova, who was pinning Miak with an icy stare. “What is this about a festival?” he asked, watching as Miak’s expression dampened.

Ven’tar, meanwhile, was staring at the Galra Prince in shock. She had not expected him to interject into the conversation.  

“It is nothing to worry about prince Lotor. Commander Braix sought to that during his time running the facility,” Miak responded, glaring towards Ven’tar. 

Ven’tar shrunk back into herself. Her stomach was churning. What if Lotor merely accepted Miak’s response? All hope would be lost then. She flicked her eyes up toward Lotor’s face, watching as his lip pulled back into a sneer.

“I was not asking you Lieutenant,” he drawled, before focusing his entire gaze on Ven’tar, “I was asking Ven’tar.”

Ven’tar’s eyes widened.  _ This was her chance _ . A chance to bring back something her people desperately wanted. She turned her attention towards Lotor before taking a deep breath and telling him, “Yes, you see, prince Lotor there is a festival my people celebrate to honor one of our deities, Kua’ye.”

“And why were you told your people could no longer celebrate it?” Lotor asked, his head tilting to one side as his eyes narrowed. Why would the Commander feel the need to ban something that seemed harmless enough?

“Well—“ Ven’tar began before Miak quickly interjected.

“Sire it is a festival for  _ heathens _ , and commander Braix banned it when he saw that it posed no benefit for the completion and operation of the mining facility,” Miak retorted, his words dripping with scathing animosity as he scowled at Ven’tar.

“Again Lieutenant, I was not asking for your response.” Lotor’s words dripped with a similar animosity, his glare fixated on the Galra in front of him. A glare that warned Miak that one more interruption could dismiss him. “—Ven’tar please continue.”

Ven’tar took a deep breath, calming herself before continuing, “My people—the Anura—we celebrate Kua’ye for fertility and togetherness, and when commander Braix told us we could no longer celebrate this tradition it...it hurt us all deeply.”

Lotor watched Ven’tar, and saw the sadness welling in her eyes as she recounted everything to him.He wanted to take it away—that heartbreaking look of anguish—and for once, he had the power to do so.

“Prince Lotor please—“ Miak tried again to interject, to spin the perspective no doubt, but Lotor would have none of it.

“Silence Lieutenant,” Lotor commanded. Miak did as instructed, silencing himself. However his glare spoke volumes as he burned it into the back of Ven’tar’s head. Lotor turned his attention towards her, “Ven’tar, you and your people shall have no complications the next time this festival is to be celebrated, you have my word.”

Ven’tar’s expression lit up. Never before had Lotor seen such a happiness in her eyes, or anyone’s for that matter. She looked up at him, a smile beaming from her lips, one that brought forth a smile to the Prince’s own lips as he watched her excitement continue to flourish.

“Thank you, prince Lotor truly thank you. It would my honor if you would attend the festival as an honored guest.” Ven’tar’s joy was infectious, spreading throughout the Prince and filling him, making his smile widen even further as he nodded.

“I would be honored to attend Ven’tar.” The two leaders smiled towards each other, a sight that made Miak sick. It was a sight that disgusted the Lieutenant forcing him to interject one final time.

“Prince Lotor you can’t the festival is—“

“That is enough Lieutenant. Your interruptions have become intolerable.You will go back to the mining facility immediately and begin these preparations,” Lotor’s voice oozed with irritation as he pulled out a small chip. “This contains the information you will need to begin them.”

Miak growled, taking the chip in hand.. He was already beginning to grow frustrated over how easily the Prince was bending over for the people, showing them unnecessary mercy. Miak withheld his anger, instead placing his hand on his chest. “Vrepit sa,” he said, looking towards Lotor before heading off to the mining facility.

The tension in the air subsided as soon as Miak walked away, and Lotor’s disgruntled face soon returned to a softer expression as his gaze settled on Ven’tar. Lotor spoke first, “Forgive his ill manners, I will have him straightened out soon enough.”

“It’s quite alright prince Lotor, he was only following his previous commands.” Ven’tar looked up at him. He wasn’t much taller than her, but she still found herself tilting her head slightly to make eye contact with him.

Lotor took a good look at the leader of Anura’tar. The smooth skin of the organ on top of her head, how it mimicked the look of hair. She wore a similar outfit to the one from the previous quintant, a long robe that draped to the ground and a dark flowing cloak that hung from her shoulders. His eyes lingered on her arms, on the strange duality of skin tones compared to the others, and his curiosity bested him, the words forming on his lips before he could even think about them.

“Ven’tar what happened to your arms?”

The silence he received from her was almost frightening, and watching the joy drain so quickly from her face brought a faint chill up his spine.  _ What could it possibly be?  _

Lotor watched as Ven’tar looked down towards her feet, silently mulling over how to respond to the Prince’s question. However, the longer her silence remained the more firm his suspicions became. It must have been connected to what had happened between the Anura and the Galra prior to his arrival.

“If you do not wish to answer, that is fine. However, I ask that you at least tell me why so few of your people even want to acknowledge my presence unless directly addressed?” Lotor asked, watching Ven’tar shift nervously in her place.

“Ven’tar please, I need to know. If I do not know why then I cannot possibly—“

Something struck the Prince from behind and the world around them went silent. Heads turned to watch him intensely. Their stares bore into him, some nervous, some with hatred hidden within, and Lotor was left to guess why.  Slowly, he turned his head to see the source of what struck him; a round ball that had rolled a few feet to the side, and a small Anura child standing there, wide eyed and afraid.

Lotor finally pinpointed the overwhelming feeling, the feeling of dread that loomed over the crowd, the unrest. He couldn’t stand this sensation. It made his skin crawl. The stares weighed on him, pressing down and scrutinizing him as he stood there in the silence. The mixture of emotions from the crowd was giving the Galra Prince whiplash; anger, worry, fear, all of these emotions and yet Lotor knew nothing of where they come from, only that it was directed towards him in this moment. Lotor didn’t know what was more frightening to him, the intensity of their stares, or the stillness of the crowd as they watched him in their silence.

Lotor’s gaze turned to Ven’tar and she seemed just as frightened as some of the members of the crowd were. Lotor’s brow furrowed. What happened to these people to make them so afraid? Lotor bent down and picked up the ball, gently outstretching his arms to hand the child their toy back. Kova purred softly, easing the child’s nerves as Lotor patiently waited for the child to take the toy. The child timidly reached out, grasping the ball in both of their small hands, avoiding eye contact with Lotor. With a soft voice and a kind smile, Lotor spoke, “Run along now little one, alright?”

After looking into Lotor’s eyes for several moments, the child quietly nodded and clutched the ball tightly to their chest before running towards the crowd where they were embraced by who Lotor could only presume was their mother. The Anura woman quietly sobbed as she hugged her child. The silence broke. Quiet murmurs and whispers began to erupt from the crowd as they continued on about their day, a sight that left Lotor extremely uncomfortable.

“Ven’tar—” Lotor said, turning back towards her. Her face was a mix of shock and relief, a sight that only grew Lotor’s curiosity further, “—what happened between your people and commander Braix?”

Ven’tar swallowed the lump in her throat. She was afraid of this moment. She was hesitant, worried about how the Prince would react to the reason behind everyone’s animosity. After a few brief moments Ven’tar lifted her head and looked towards Lotor before saying, “Please follow me my Prince.”

Lotor nodded, following closely behind Ven’tar as she led him out of the city—a sight Lotor had yet to see, as he had not yet ventured far from the center. They continued on in silence until they arrived at the edge of the city.

Kova jumped off of Lotor’s shoulders once they arrived at their final destination, going off on his own to explore the new area. The edge of Omuli was lined with a large variety of trees and vegetation, small streams cutting through the forest and heading inwards towards the city. Vibrant flowers of a vast array of colours were littered throughout the vegetation, giving a lush sense of life throughout the view. Ven’tar stepped towards the stream, stepping up onto one of the large rocks along the edge, staring deeply into the water.

Lotor was about to ask Ven’tar again, to discover what was being kept secret from him, but before he could, Ven’tar spoke up.

“It was only a few deca-phoebs ago when the incident happened,” Ven’tar reminisced, not removing her gaze from the water as she continued, “Commander Braix and the previous leader, Oth’tar, were discussing the facility.”

Ven’tar paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as she focused her gaze on a leaf floating down the calm stream.

“During their discussion a child named Inta lost control of their ball, striking commander Braix with it from behind, much like what happened to you. Only...the Commander was less than merciful,” Ven’tar continued. Lotor could feel Ven’tar’s anxiety as she spoke. It brought out his own anxiety; reminded him of the horrors he had faced as a child.

Lotor was not prepared for what Ven’tar said next.

“Commander Braix shot the child in the middle of the square, commanding nearby sentries to kill anyone on sight if they stepped near his corpse.” Her voice shook as she recounted the event.

Realization crashed over Lotor. The dots slowly beginning to connect. However he now found himself wondering if he truly wanted to hear this answer. To know that his father’s Empire had been committing such misdeeds against its own subjects. He felt his heart sink, a lump forming in his throat that he could not swallow away. He felt the guilt that commander Braix should have felt, it ate away at his conscious, threatening to crush his crumbling optimism. Lotor was left in shock, finding out that the Galra Empire was responsible for such atrocities. That they were kept from him for so long.

He looked back to Ven’tar, a somber look in his eyes as their gazes met. He had no words to offer.

Ven’tar hesitated, looking to the sky as she contemplated her words, and of how to tell the Prince of what transpired next. “After three days the child’s parents had enough, and confronted commander Braix. No one expected what happened next. Commander Braix fired on Inta’s parents, killing them as well. Oth’tar decided that this could no longer go on. They attempted to lead a riot against the Galra,” Ven’tar continued, avoiding Lotor’s gaze.

Lotor was shocked. He never expected such animosity and turmoil within the Empire’s colonies. It was never reported on or discussed; it was all swept away and left to be forgotten. Something Lotor planned to change.

“The riot—“ 

“It was a failure. After only six vargas, Oth’tar was captured and beheaded by commander Braix,” Ven’tar finished, looking back at Lotor with azure tears streaking down her face. The sight brought a frown to Lotor’s lips. It was uncontrollable for the Prince; his empathy was considered his greatest weakness amongst the Galra at Central Command, his father.

_ But here...here it could be his strength. _

Lotor reached out, gently taking Ven’tar’s hand in his. He could feel the Anura leader tense up, unsure of his intentions. But she soon began to ease when she realized he was remaining calm and still, merely reaching out to her. Her shoulders relaxed, a light sigh escaping her lips before he spoke to her, “I promise you Ven’tar, no horrific consequences will befall your people so long as I am in control of this colony.”

Ven’tar’s lower lip trembled, more azure tears pooling in her eyes as she looked down at his hand, how tender his touch was against her. Hearing him call her name so softly pulled her gaze back up to meet his, guilt and concern consumed his indigo irises as they stood there together.

“They’re biomechanical prosthetics,” she spoke quietly, her expression somber and eyes heavy, lost in the memories.

“They’re...“ It took Lotor mere moments after the words started to leave his lips to understand what she meant.

_ Her arms. _

“They’re a bit crude compared to how they should be,” Ven’tar’s lips lifted into a wry smile, “but resources at the time were scarce so the engineer made the best with what she had, and I am grateful, truly.” Ven’tar lifted her hand free from Lotor’s to look at it closely, frowning as her eyes became clouded by memories of the past.

“Ven’tar—“ Lotor began, but she interjected.

“You wanted to know didn’t you?” 

Lotor swallowed around the lump in his throat. Of course he wanted to know, he  _ needed _ to know. he worst part about it though was that he didn’t even understand where the desire to know came from; he just knew he needed to hear her answer.

Vent’ar watched the Prince silently nod in response to her question before she spoke again, “I was restrained not long into Oth’tar’s short lived riot, at the time I was—“ she paused, her eyes looking towards Lotor, studying his solemn expression before cautiously continuing, “I was resisting, attempting to free myself from the sentry and it wound up placing the restraints too high and too tight.

The Galra soldier who discovered that the restraints weren’t on correctly after the riot decided—“ Ven’tar froze, fear bubbling in her voice as she tried to speak, “decided—“

Lotor took her hand in his once again, reminding her of the present. That everything was rapidly changing right in front of her, and that this is no longer Braix’s command. Ven’tar took in a deep breath, calming her nerves before finishing, “He decided that the easier solution was to remove them.”

Lotor felt sick to his stomach. He had read every report for this colony before arrival. Not one mentioned any of these events Ven’tar had just described to him, not one even hinted at such strife between the Anura and Galra. And if such an intentional oversight happened here, where else was it happening within the Empire? His hand dropped from Ven’tar’s as he lost himself in these thoughts.

The two leaders stood there in uncertain silence. Ven’tar avoiding his gaze; Lotor avoiding hers.

Finally, Ven’tar spoke first, “I must thank you prince Lotor.”

He looked towards her, his brow raised curiously as he listened to her continue, “You have not been here even two full quintants yet you have shown us more kindness than we’ve seen in deca-pheobs.”

Lotor swallowed around the tightness in his throat threatening to choke him. He thought he had prepared for every scenario; he thought this would be a simple endeavor and a chance to finally impress his father. His chest felt heavy. He couldn’t have been more wrong in his assumptions—this was going to be much more difficult than he had ever imagined it would be.

But he would not yield. Not now, not ever.

Lotor reached out, grabbing Ven’tar’s hand, coaxing her attention back to him. “Do not thank me yet Ven’tar, there is still much work to be done.”

Her wide eyes softened, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she looked at him. There was a feeling in both of them, something neither could quite explain. For Lotor, he had never experienced this sensation before, a radiant warmth that filled him, consumed his being and left him thinking brightly about what was to come. For Ven’tar, she knew this feeling; it tugged at her nostalgically, something that had been ripped away from her and her people so long ago, something she never thought she’d experience again.

_ Hope. _

Kova came back within view, another one of those colourful insects trapped, writhing about in his mouth as he approached them. Surprise rose on Ven’tar’s face as she crouched down carefully taking the insect from Kova’s mouth to inspect it. “An uzala fly,” she remarked, a smile tugging at her lips, “how fitting.”

Lotor cocked his head to the side, unsure of what she could be referring to. Ven’tar softly smiled at up Lotor and looked back down at the insect she had in her hand before releasing it, watching it fly away deep into the forest. Kova swished his tail in discontent over the loss of his prey.

“They’re a fairly elusive species, and are considered a symbol of good fortunes to come when one is found.” Ven’tar stood up, focusing her attention to Lotor. “Perhaps it was a symbol of the good fortunes to come for both our peoples.”

Lotor felt hope swell in his heart again. Not just for improving the colony, but also for a chance to improve the Anura’s lives as well.

Yes. The future was bright, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Kova is adorable as fuck


	3. Our Secret

Lotor and Ven’tar made their way towards the mining facility in silence. Lotor had spent the previous night going over reports concerning the facility again. He knew the yields had been consistent for the first few years of operation but had been decreasing over the last few months. Lotor had every intention of dealing with whatever the problem might be so as to immediately improve the yields. There was a better way, and he would prove it—to the rest of the Galra, to his father. 

Lotor reached up, gently brushing his hand against Kova’s cheek bringing a soft purr from his furry companion as Kova pushed his face into Lotor’s hand. Lotor rarely traveled anywhere without Kova, not since he was a boy and had claimed the creature as his own. Ven’tar looked over towards the pair and smiled softly. Her shoulders seemed more relaxed than the previous quintants, and there also seemed to be a slight bounce to her step as she and Lotor followed the path towards the facility. Soon they reached the entrance of the large building, Ven’tar stepping ahead to open the doors for the Prince.

The two of them entered the large building, Ven’tar following behind Lotor as they walked towards the centre of the building—towards the edge of the balcony that looked over the mining operations.

The way the Empire withdrew quintessence from planets was cruder than Lotor had anticipated, and he assumed that this was why they all eventually succumbed to a weakened core and inevitable collapse. The air was hot, a suffocating heat, one that brought beads of sweat to the motionless Prince. His eyes scanned over the facility from the second floor viewing platform, watching the extraction commence. As soon as it started Lotor could feel the air change.

The exhaustion.

It was all-consuming, and he assumed it radiated from the Anura who were working the mines. There was a dull, tired look in their eyes as they were forced to complete hard physical labour. Lotor’s expression was unchanging as he observed the operations, stoic as if he was lost in a deep thought.

“Is everything to your satisfaction my Prince?” a soft voice bubbled behind him. Ven’tar had been quietly watching and observing as well, but not the facility. She was observing Lotor, attempting to gauge his reaction to the manner of operations. 

“Far from it. Tell me Ven’tar, why is it that the quintessence yield stagnated and then decreased in the past years?” Lotor asked, his eyes fixated on the Anura working below.

“I—well commander Braix started implementing new rules to follow and some of them were not effective,” Ven’tar replied.

“Clearly,” Lotor responded dryly. He only had the previous night to mull over the Commander and his actions, and the consequences these people have suffered because of those actions. It disgusted Lotor to think this could be considered something acceptable within the Empire, acceptable by his father. Lotor broke his chain of thought, continuing to talk to Ven’tar, “Tell me, what were the changes the Commander made so I may have a better understanding of where it all started to go wrong.”

Ven’tar gulped slightly. “Increasing shift hours. My people—we aren’t able to work safely in extreme heats like the facility produces.” Her voice grew quieter as she continued, “It isn’t healthy for us.”

Lotor turned to look at Ven’tar. It was harder to tell with the Anura below, but with Ven’tar it was as clear as day how heat like this affected them. Her antennae were drooped further than normal and her eyes were hooded and pained, the organ on her head was glistening unlike the rest of her flesh which looked pale. This was unbearable for them.  _ For her _ .

“Cancel all further shifts for the day Ven’tar.” 

Her jaw went slack and eyes wide—had the Prince truly just spoke those words?

“Pardon me prince Lotor?” Ven’tar needed to hear him say it again. Confirm it.

“Cancel all further shifts until this heat problem is dealt with.” Lotor used the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow—even for him this heat was stifling.

Ven’tar nodded, still surprised. She took three steps towards the balcony and peered out at her people. “Attention workers—” the Anura all turned to look at their leader, “—all labour shifts are canceled until further notice.”

There were faint murmurs within the crowd as they gossiped amongst themselves. Most exclaiming how this had never happened before. Ven’tar turned back to Lotor, her hands folded over top one another in front of her.

“Ven’tar I would like to take this chance to inspect my future dwelling.” Lotor said, reaching up to pet Kova with his hand.

“Of course prince Lotor,” Ven’tar nodded, “the construction has been going along quite well and should be ready within the next few quintants for you,” she finished, before leading Lotor out of the facility.

As Ven’tar guided Lotor through Omuli, he noticed that the people were glaring at him less than when he first arrived—that they almost seemed willing to accept his presence there now. Perhaps they realized he truly wanted to improve their lives. However, Lotor suspected that it would still take some time—that it would take more than a handful of small chances to make a large difference.

Something caught Ven’tar’s eye as the pair began walking through the city square—a small food booth selling a large variety of what Lotor presumed was fruit. 

“Prince Lotor, would you like to grab something to eat before going to inspect your future residence?”

Lotor paused for a moment, his eyes trailing over the rainbow of colours before speaking, “Yes Ven’tar I would, preferably something sweet.”

Ven’tar nodded. “Of course prince Lotor.” She turned to the vendor and pointed to two large violet fruits. “Two yuats please, Mara.” 

The vendor smiled and nodded, placing the two fruits in Ven’tar’s hand while she placed the money onto the counter. Ven’tar turned to Lotor, handing him one of the large fruits—it was lumpy but oh so  _ soft _ —it almost seemed to melt in just Lotor’s hand alone.

“Yuats have always been a favourite of mine—they’re so sweet it’s almost sickening,” Ven’tar explained. 

Lotor took a small bite from the fruit. His eyes widened—Ven’tar wasn’t joking, it was almost sickeningly sweet. It made his mouth water—a kind of sweetness that the Prince could have only ever dreamed of. Lotor couldn’t help but take another bite, and another, before all that was left was a small black pit in the centre. 

“That was delicious Ven’tar thank you.” Lotor licked the corner of his mouth, drawing in every last drop of flavor from the large fruit.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She smiled softly, taking a small bite of her own yuat.

Kova purred contently, having wrapped himself tightly around Lotor’s shoulder’s as the two of them continued to walk through the square. Lotor glanced over the bustling square, noting the different actions and behaviours of the people. The children were gathered around their elder, intently listening to their lesson and learning what Lotor could only assume had been banned by commander Braix. He also noticed that, unlike many of the adults,the children seemed to all be of the same variant of green.

His gaze continued on, lingering on a pair of Anura tentatively touching each other’s arms—their antennae gently pressed against the other’s forehead. What made Lotor truly curious about this action though was the faint glow emanating from their facial markings as they performed this action.

Lotor turned his head back to Ven’tar, watching as she finished stuffing the last of her yuat into her mouth—her cheeks slightly bulging. 

“Ven’tar?”

Her eyes widened. Ven’tar quickly chewed what she had left and swallowed the large mass of food, wincing as the solid lump moved down her throat. A large blush crept over Ven’tar’s cheeks as she swallowed a few more times before replying, “Yes prince Lotor?”

“What exactly are they doing over there?” Lotor glanced towards the duo again.

“They’re reading each other’s otiem,“ Ven’tar said, immediately noticing the confusion behind Lotor’s eyes at the foreign word. “Ah my apologies prince Lotor—quintessence. They’re reading each other’s quintessence.”

“Reading each other’s quintessence?” Lotor repeated. He was intrigued.. He had heard whispers of mystical Alteans with the ability to manipulate quintessence, but he’d never heard of one being able to read another’s quintessence. “Is that what the organs on your heads are for?”

“Yes, among other things—it’s called a liutima,” a faint smile tugged at Ven’tar’s lips as she reached up to brush her hand against her liutima, “We do this as a way to better understand the other—their emotions and sometimes if the connection is strong enough, their thoughts as well.”

“Fascinating. Would you mind reading my own?” Lotor was curious to see how accurate this was. He assumed the results would be outside the norm—considering he had no liutima himself, but even so, Lotor was still curious. 

Her eyes widened. “If that is what you would like prince Lotor.” Her voice was laced with disbelief—he continued to find new ways to surprise her every day. She turned to him. 

Lotor leaned down, closing the gap between them and making it easier for Ven’tar to read his quintessence. Ven’tar’s antennae reached up, timidly brushing against Lotor’s forehead and resting against it. Ven’tar was unsure if this would even work—never having tried it on a Galra before.

Lotor shivered slightly—feeling the tickle of her soft and smooth antennae as they brushed against his flesh, before looking down and noticing how stiff and rigid Ven’tar was as she concentrated. “The couple I observed made additional contact with each other,” Lotor said as he reached out and gently touched Ven’tar’s forearms, “I assume it helps in some capacity?”

Ven’tar’s cheeks flushed, giving him a slight nod. “It does, yes. You’re quite observant prince Lotor.”

She closed her eyes, focusing on Lotor. Searching through the initial haze to find something—anything. She let out a soft sigh as she continued to read his otiem—his quintessence, finally finding the answers she sought.

_ Curiosity. Disbelief. Guilt. _

Ven’tar pulled back wide eyed. “Prince Lotor why would you feel g—” Ven’tar froze when she saw Lotor’s face.

“What is it Ven’tar?” The curiosity ate at him— _ what did she sense? _

Ven’tar reached up timidly, brushing her thin fingers against his cheek—she caught herself too late, and quickly jerked her hand back and away from him, looking down in shame—“My deepest apologies prince Lotor I should never have—”

“Ven’tar relax—tell me, what you read?” Lotor asked.

“It’s...it’s not what I read prince Lotor—your cheeks, they...” Ven’tar trailed off, studying Lotor’s face intently. She never imagined she’d see such a sight.

“They what Ven’tar?” Lotor reached up touching his own cheek, brushing his thumb against the spot that Ven’tar had briefly touched. It was then Lotor could see it too.

The faint glow radiating onto his hand, leaving Lotor shocked.

“What—” Lotor gasped.  _ What in the world was going on _ ? His cheeks had never glowed before, nor any other Galra before now for that matter. Was this something to do with his Altean history? The Dayak who told him what little bits he did know never said anything about glowing marks—was it rare?

Ven’tar looked across the square, carefully watching to see if anyone else had noticed the strange phenomenon before speaking softly to Lotor, “Prince Lotor, please follow me.”

Lotor nodded, allowing Ven’tar to lead him away from the square. She led him silently towards the outskirts—where the edge of the forest and the city met. Ven’tar looked behind her, scanning the area carefully before leading Lotor into the woods.

“Watch your step and stay close,” Ven’tar warned. Lotor quietly nodded, following in her exact footsteps as she led him deeper in. The forest was dense; the underbrush was thick and lush, and Lotor noted how soggy the ground seemed to be.

“Where exactly are taking me Ven’tar?” Lotor questioned. 

“It’s not much further,” she responded. Lotor opened his mouth in an attempt to reply, instead letting out a soft sigh once they stopped.  _ That does not answer my question _ , the Prince thought to himself.

Lotor took in the sight in front of him. Hidden deep within the forest there was a rocky outcrop covered by a thick wall of vines. Lotor noted the thick layer of moss covering them—how old they must have been. Ven’tar peered one last time over her shoulder before pulling back some of the vines, revealing a darkened cavern.

Kova jumped off of Lotor’s shoulder, trotting into the dark unknown. He was always a curious creature—one that commonly got into mischief when he wasn’t with the Prince. Lotor wondered if he had ever caused this much mischief for his mother when she had him. 

“If the others saw me bring you here—well, I don’t think it would go well,” Ven’tar said quietly, ushering Lotor ahead. “Please my Prince—you first.”

Lotor paused for a moment to assess the situation. He knew the people were disgruntled with the Empire. He knew no others were aware of their excursion. He knew commander Braix disappeared without a trace. 

And yet, Lotor stepped forward. Each step cracking and echoing throughout the cavern—how deep the sound traveled. It was not long before Ven’tar followed in after him, the last remnants of light disappearing as the veil of vines fell back over the entrance.

“Ven’tar, how exactly are we supposed to see in here?” Lotor asked, his voice betraying his nerves. 

“Prince Lotor—here,” Ven’tar reached out, her fingers grazing against his upper arm, “I can guide you the rest of the way.”  
  
“Guide me where Ven’tar? You have quite literally left me in the dark on all of this.” Lotor’s voice dripped with frustration and Ven’tar froze before quietly speaking.

“Long ago my ancestors were visited by benevolent beings. It was said that they had marks which would glow—just like yours did,” Ven’tar told him, guiding him further into the cavern,towards a faint azure glow deep within.

Lotor’s brow shot up. He heard rumours—scraps of stories of his lost heritage. He only knew a handful of pieces; they were called Alteans from the planet Altea, and that his mother, Honerva, was a revered alchemist among them, one who advanced the universe immensely with her research on quintessence.

“Ven’tar you must tell me more.” Lotor could barely contain himself. His pace quickly began to out match hers to the point where he was nearly pushing Ven’tar forward now, towards the azure glow as it continued to grow stronger.

“We lost their name to time, but we did manage to save their artifacts after they disappeared,” Ven’tar replied, taking Lotor’s hand in hers as she led him towards the light.

_ Disappeared... _

The word hung in Lotor’s stomach, forcing it to twist and churn. There was one other thing he knew of. 

The destruction of Altea.

“It’s believed they wanted to set up a trading outpost on one of our moons.” Ven’tar as she led Lotor into a large room. This was where the source of the azure glow had been coming from—luminescent stones which lined the ceiling. Lotor looked over to the wooden tables that sat along the walls, covered with ancient Altean artifacts strewn about. “No one on Anura’tar even knows how to operate this fantasifull technology.”

Lotor’s eyes widened at the sight—dozens of Altean science logs and gadgets lined the tables, and Kova curled up contently between them, a sight Lotor could only assume his mother had been all too familiar with. He had never been so close to something he once thought lost, and now...he was so close he could touch it—feel it within his own grasp. He reached out to the nearest table, grabbing a small log and examining it.

“How do you know all of this Ven’tar?” Lotor asked in astonishment, his eyes bright and wide as he observed all of the lost Altean technology.

“My people have passed down the stories of the Velancra—the Visitors—ever since they stopped visiting Anura’tar centuries ago,” Ven’tar explained, “I—I knew you had to have some type of connection with them—when your marks glowed just like theirs were said to.”

Lotor stood there quietly, taking all of this in. It was almost too good to be true—a miracle that his ancestors, theAlteans, had once visited this very same planet long before his arrival here. And now Lotor had a chance to finally learn more about them—about himself.

“Ven’tar may I take some of these back with me?” Lotor asked, his gaze fixated on the small device in his palm, gently running his thumb over the flat surface as he wondered what secrets they held about his lost heritage.

“I—of course prince Lotor. I only ask you show them to no one. If lieutenant Miak saw he’d...” Ven’tar trailed off, and Lotor could hear the fear laced in her words as the thought crossed her mind. It took him a moment to realize where the fear came from—the Empire’s zero tolerance on Altean artifacts.

“It was never indicated in the reports, but tell me Ven’tar does the Empire know that Alteans once visited your planet?” Lotor asked, reaching out and grabbing another science log—already having pocketed the first one.

“Alteans—so that’s what they were called,” Ven’tar responded quietly.  “Yes, commander Braix destroyed everything he could find. These are what we were able to hide away.”

Lotor placed another log in his pocket, wishing he had the ability to bring more back, but this would have to do for now. His eyes looked over the room one last time. He would be coming back for the rest of these items without a doubt. Now that he had this chance to learn more about Altea—and maybe even more about his mother—Lotor was not about to give up. Not even in the slightest.

Lotor turned back to Ven’tar, noticing how she was biting her lip—how her eyes never left the tables. “Ven’tar, if you’re worried I will tell someone you have my word, this will be our secret.”

The tight frown on her lips melted into a relieved smile. Her expression was soft, thankful— _ grateful _ even and all Lotor had merely given her were words. Something so simple, yet it meant the world to her to hear them cross his lips.

“Thank you, prince Lotor,” Ven’tar replied softly.

“Think nothing of it Ven’tar,” Lotor exclaimed as he reached out, taking her hand in his, before speaking, “You’ve brought me something no other has, and for that I am truly grateful.”

The two of them stood there in the soft azure glow. Lotor looked down at her with a tender gaze, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips—for the first time in a long time, Lotor felt a pang genuine happiness. A feeling he could never thank Ven’tar enough for.

She clasped Lotor’s hand in both of hers—admiring how she could barely contain his hand within hers as she spoke,“It was the least I could do to repay you for your kindness prince Lotor.”

Kindness such as Ven’tar’s was an unknown gesture to the Prince. Lotor had grown accustomed to being used over the years—by friends, colleagues, and those he thought were lovers. But now he was beginning to find himself in completely over his head—lost in a haze of mixed emotions, all over  _ her _ . A sensation the Prince found enticing yet  _ terrifying _ .

“We should head back,” Lotor said flatly—suppressing all of those emotions and burying them deep within. Lotor turned to leave the cavern. Ven’tar tilted her head slightly, a confused smile tugging at her lips, watching as Lotor started to walk off into the darkness. She quickly grabbed another couple of science logs, cramming them into the pockets hidden within her dress before she left to follow the Prince.

Kova jumped off of the table, trotting closely behind Ven’tar as they caught up to Lotor nearer to the entrance of the cavern. Soon they reached the entrance, passing through the vines and standing outside. The suns were slowly beginning to set—barely poking over the tops of the trees—vibrant oranges and violets painted the sky as darkness slowly began to set on them, casting shadows across the ground and darkening the path back.

“The sunsets on your planet are spectacular Ven’tar,” Lotor remarked, his gaze focused on the view in front of them.

“I’m sure your own home planet has ones just as beautiful prince Lotor,” she replied, smiling softly as she watched Lotor bend over to pick Kova up, cradling the creature close to his chest while he purred contently.

“Perhaps they were, however that is a sight my eyes will never rest on.” Lotor remarked, staring off into the fading sunset—his expression was flat but his eyes said it all—the bitterness and resentment brimming within.

Ven’tar tilted her head, unsure of what exactly he meant. “What happened exactly?” she asked softly.

“They were destroyed centuries ago.” Lotor replied coldly. He clutched Kova slightly closer to himself before he decided to crawl up onto Lotor’s shoulders and wrap himself around his master’s neck.

Ven’tar went silent—a pang of guilt growing within her. Her antennae slightly wilting as she rescinded into herself.

“I’m sorry I—”

“You wanted to know, didn’t you?” A faint smirk crept onto his face as Ven’tar’s eyes widened. That pang of guilt gave way to a pang of relief as she watched his expression soften.

A smile of her own appeared on her lips as she realized what he had done—using her own words from the previous day against her. “Yes I suppose I did.” 

They followed the path towards the city, watching as the darkness slowly faded and a faint green glow radiated from the moss that covered nearly everything along their way. Lotor continued to find this foreign planet more and more incredible with each moment he spent there. Eventually they reached the outskirts of the city.

“Prince Lotor? Here,” Ven’tar stopped before they entered the city limits. She pulled out the science logs she had crammed into her dress, “It’s not much, but I hope you can find some use of them.” 

Lotor froze. Ven’tar continued to surprise him with her kindness—such a simple gesture and to Lotor it meant everything. “Ven’tar thank you I—”

“There is no need to thank me,” she replied softly. He studied her closely, her downward gaze and the faint blush which was creeping up onto her cheeks before she looked back up to meet his gaze—her eyes full and bright. “I was wondering if—if you’d like to accompany me tomorrow into the forest again, there are some things I would like to gather before Kua’ye’s festival is begins.”

He found it absolutely endearing, and he could not explain why, but seeing her in such a manner brought a warmth to his heart—a sight of her he hoped to see again. “I would be delighted to join you tomorrow Ven’tar.”

Her smile widened—no,  _ beamed— _ as she looked up at him. “Excellent! I look forward to it prince Lotor,” she bowed to him, “I will take my leave now.”

Lotor nodded. “Yes, peaceful slumbers Ven’tar.”

Her eyes widened before a smile grew on her lips. He had spoken one of her people’s phrases. “Thank you prince Lotor, peaceful slumbers to you as well.”

Lotor watched her turn and walk away, noting that she must live outside of the city as she continued to travel along the outskirts of the forest and city. He stood there for a few moments, taking in her form and letting a smile pull at his lips. He looked down at the Altean science logs in his hands. His smile widened.

_ Finally. _

Lotor turned himself around, heading into the city and towards his ship for the night. Kova purred contently on his shoulder—sensing the elation in his master’s aura. Lotor reached up and scratched Kova’s chin gently, brimming with excitement over all the new reading material he had at his disposal and he had much to go over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww look they're starting to crush on each other 💜💚


	4. Foreign Territory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so for convenience sake, think of nevm like a fen/bog version of quicksand. It's basically this massive sludge of rot and decay (like a soupy compost) that pulls things into it if contact is made.

Lotor was hunched over the desk in his quarters, multiple Altean logs were scattered about but his focus was preoccupied on the report in front of him. Lotor had only been on Anura’tar for a few days, but he had already gone over these reports a dozen times. There were three reports that discussed commander Braix’s disappearance—all filed by lieutenant Miak. The first reported the Commander’s initial disappearance, another discussed Miak’s suspicion of Ven’tar, and the last one, sent several pheobs after the initial report, requested a replacement as it seemed the Commander would not be returning.

Lotor had been waiting to see for himself if there had been any authenticity behind Miak’s reports, because to the Prince it seemed as if Ven’tar didn’t hold any animosity towards him—let alone the Galra as a whole. No, Ven’tar only seemed fearful—not for what would happen to her, but what would happen to her people. But of course the Prince was merely speculating.

A sharp noise pierced the silence of his quarters before a familiar voice and face appeared through the small monitor near Lotor’s desk. Thron, the Lieutenant of his ship, “Prince Lotor the native representative is here requesting your presence, shall I remove them?”

“No lieutenant Thron, please escort the native representative to my quarters and apologize for not coming to meet her myself.”

Lieutenant Thron paused before his response, “—yes sir, Vrepit Sa.”

The monitor cut out and Lotor rose from his seat, stretching his tender muscles up above his head as he let out a tired yawn—did he even sleep the previous night? Lotor was unsure, he had been so focused on setting up a new work schedule for the Anura in an attempt to give them a more tolerable work environment. Lotor looked back to his untouched bed, spotting Kova curled contently atop the pillow, tail coiled tightly around his sleeping form. Lotor smiled softly and walked over to his friend, reaching out and gently stroked the top of Kova’s head.

“Will you be staying here today?” Lotor asked, scratching behind Kova’s ear. He watched the cat stretch out and purr contently, rolling over onto his back—his legs outstretched and paws hanging loosely as the Prince scratched on his belly.

The door to his quarters opened, revealing Thron—a tall Galra with smooth large pointed ears and two thin tendrils that hung over his shoulders. He proudly wore his Empire’s colours, having come from a long family line of military service. The Lieutenant cleared his throat before stepping to the side to reveal Ven’tar—she was focusing her gaze on the ground with her hands folded tightly in front of her.

“Ah Ven’tar my apologies for making you come all this way—the time had completely slipped past me,” Lotor remarked, turning off the datapad that held the report he was previously reading.

Ven’tar bowed politely before looking up at Lotor with a hint of sadness deep within her eyes, “It’s alright if you’re busy prince Lotor, we can always go another time.”

Lotor shook his head, “Nonsense, I was quite looking forward to you showing me more of your planet—it’s also a much needed break from rearranging the work schedules.” Lotor lifted his hand from Kova, receiving a sharp response of malcontent from his furry friend. Kova arced his head to look up at his master with an angry glare, one that demanded his return. Ven’tar took notice and smiled softly.

“Would you like to pet him?” Lotor asked.

“I—yes if that is alright,” Ven’tar replied timidly as she stepped towards the cat and his master.

“More than,” Lotor spoke softly, attempting to coax Ven’tar into a sense of ease. She reached out slowly, letting her thin fingers hang delicately in front of Kova. He was silent for a moment, watching and judging Ven’tar before he finally pressed his head against her hand, urging her to go further. Ven’tar smiled and ran her hand carefully over Kova’s head, taking the time to gently scratch behind his ears. An act that summoned a faint purr from deep within Kova.

“I’m impressed, normally he’s quite reserved with others,” Lotor remarked, reaching out and scratching Kova’s back. Kova flopped over, exposing his soft belly to the both of them, andLotor wasted no time in giving Kova a few final scratches, “I think it’s best if you stay here today Kova, I’d hate for you to get yourself lost out there.”

The cat whined in protest but remained in his position, the sight forcing a smile upon Lotor’s face as he looked at his dear friend. “No I cannot stay here with you today, perhaps another time Kova.”

Lotor lifted his hand one last time from Kova, receiving another sharp whine in response. Ven’tar found herself lost in this sight—watching how gentle and kind he was towards such a frail creature helped remind her that he was nothing like the other Galra who had come before him.

“Shall we be on our way Ven’tar?” Lotor asked as he turned to her. She wasn’t wearing her usual attire—instead having swapped it out for loose shirt, simple pants, and plain boots, while also carrying a small sachel that clung on her shoulder. 

A faint smile crept up on her cheeks. “That sounds like a splendid idea prince Lotor.”

Lotor returned the smile before ushering her to follow him to the outside of the ship.

“Where do you plan on taking me Ven’tar?” he asked as he begun following her through the city. It was a different path, veering towards the Southern side of Omuli this time.

“I haven’t had a chance to grow any flowers for Kua’ye’s festival this year, so I have to make due with some wild ones instead.” 

“Right, you’ve mentioned this festival before but I do not believe you’ve told me what it is for,” Lotor asked curiously as he continued to follow Ven’tar out towards the city edges.

Ven’tar smiled as she looked up at him, “Kua’ye is an old deity of ours that we worship—they’re our patron of fertility, hospitality, and prosperity.” 

Lotor nodded in response, he had read stories as a child about the ancient gods of Daibazaal—before Zarkon banished the texts outside of the war gods, the gods of destruction that Lotor could only assume now was to inspire future violence among the members of his father’s Empire. Something Lotor planned to change once he succeeds in the next Kral Zera—whenever that shall be.

“Do your people have many of these deities Ven’tar?” Lotor was interested in seeing how different the Anura were—if they worshiped violence and victory as much as the Galra seemed to now.

“Quite a few—Tue’ze is our patron of wisdom, Baali’lin our patron of nature, Nar’tuv our patron of health, and Marmo’ra our patron of peace, to name a few.” A smile tugged at Ven’tar’s lips as she spoke to Lotor, telling him of her people’s culture and finding him genuinely interested. 

“Fascinating, and none for war—for conquest?” Lotor asked, as the two of them reached the outskirts of the city. He watched as Ven’tar began to follow the stone path—the forest on this side of the city was full of large trees that blocked out the light from the twin suns,making it that much more difficult to properly see. Thin and thick vines hung from the canopy of the trees gently teasing the ground underneath.

Ven’tar paused for a moment before shaking her head, “No, Marmo’ra put a stop for needing war and fighting in that sense,” she replied, leading Lotor deeper into the woods, carefully stepping along each of the stones that protruded from beneath the ground. A faint scent of decay lingered in Lotor’s nose, and he crinkled it in response to such a putrid smell.

He was intrigued though, his entire focus on Ven’tar and the path ahead of him, “Tell me Ven’tar how did your people manage such a feat?”

Ven’tar turned her head back and her eyes widened. She quickly grabbed Lotor’s arm and pulled him back onto the path, “Do be mindful prince Lotor.”

Ven’tar cautioned, motioning towards the edge of the path, “—it can be quite dangerous if you stray from the path.” 

Lotor looked to the ground, focusing on the edge of the stone path and he could tell now that the ground underneath wasn’t entirely solid—it looked almost as if the ground itself was rippling like it was made of liquid. A few feet out Lotor saw the grass slowly disappear, giving way to what the Prince assumed was the water—if it could be called that. The liquid was thick and sludge like, and Lotor suspected that this was where the smell of decay came from.

He looked up to Ven’tar—his face tight and lips pursed as he replied coolly to her, “I am certain a slight misstep would not be that troublesome.”

“Are you certain about that?” Ven’tar gave Lotor a look he was unfamiliar with from her—a playful smile and unwavering eye contact. She lifted her arm and pointed off into the distance and Lotor turned to watch. High in the canopy of the trees Lotor saw a family of native animals—seemingly small furry creatures with large ears and long thick tails they were using to hold onto branches with, as they swung from branch to branch. The last one of the group was edging its way tentatively, possibly unsure of the jump in front of them before attempting it—and failing. The creature screeched as it plummeted towards the ground, crashing into brown sludge and barely making a splash as the sludge slowly engulfed the creature. “As my father would always warn, ‘absent minds lead to absent lives.’” 

Lotor gulped. None of the reports indicated the dangerous terrain, not that it surprised him anymore. There were a good number of oversights he had picked up on now. 

Ven’tar’s playful smile slowly fell flat as she looked out into the distance. “It’s a horrific death. Once the  _ nevm _ has its hold it is near impossible to get free.” Ven’tar picked up a stick lying on the path—taking it and only gently pushing it through the ground that was floating atop of the nevm, only to have the nevm slowly begin to pull it out of her hand and into its depths.

“How does the ground stay on top like that Ven’tar?” Lotor was fascinated by the environment—this was nothing like how the texts on Daibazaal had described and Lotor began to wonder if it was common for different planets to have different types of environments. 

“It’s light enough that it does not give way, but if you had stepped on it—”   


“I would have went right through.”   
  
“Exactly prince Lotor, so please do be careful,” Ven’tar warned, “some places are safer than others, but it’s best to stick to the stone paths.”

Lotor was unused to this, to have someone seem so genuinely concerned for him—for his life. “Do your people know how deep the nevm can be?” he asked, following carefully behind Ven’tar as she continued to show him down the path.

“It varies. The deepest known parts well exceeds your height.”

“You said it is called a nevm?” Lotor asked.

“Yes—” Ven’tar paused, lost in thought as she tried to figure out how to translate it to him, ”the best possible translation I can think of would be ‘sea of decay,’” Ven’tar answered, reaching out and grabbing some brightly coloured flowers from a hanging vine before continuing down the path. “The vast majority of Anura’tar is covered by it. In fact I believe there’s only a third of the planet that is actually safe to walk. The rest is nevm, marshland, or bog—or the few mountain ranges.”

A faint smile tugged at Lotor’s lips as he listened to Ven’tar talk more about her planet. He enjoyed hearing her go into detail about her world—about its environment and wildlife. Her voice seemed chipper, more lively as she spoke more about her planet. As they traveled deeper into the forest Lotor learned more—the names of the common trees, that the animal they had watched earlier was called an e’owk, all the while Ven’tar continued to gather different flowers and plants.

Eventually they reached a tiny clearing in the woods where the path split off two ways. The canopy of the trees barely reached over the centre of the clearing. Something in between those two paths had caught Ven’tar’s eyes and would not let her gaze go, meanwhile Lotor was focused on viewing the surroundings. Not a sign of the nevm in sight but he knew it lay only inches below, ready to swallow up any unsuspecting prey. He continued to gaze at the surroundings before speaking.

“Tell me Ven’tar how did you—” Lotor turned to look at her, but  she was gone, no longer standing by his side like she had been mere moments prior. “Ven’tar?”

Lotor looked around until his eyes eventually caught sight of her pulling at a vine until it became loose and fell. He cocked his head to the side when he saw her tie it tightly around her waist before handing him the other end.

“What exactly are you doing?” Lotor asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. Ven’tar pointed out towards a large hummock in the middle of the clearing—a large pocket of air trapped between the ground and the nevm below. 

“I need you to hold onto this for me,” Ven’tar said, handing him the loose end of the vine.

Lotor took the vine in his hand, “And why would you need me to do such a thing Ven’tar?”

“Do you see that—on top of the hummock out there?” 

Lotor looked out toward where she was pointing. He could see it now, a grey mass of some sort that sat on the hummock, creating a slight divot in the top. 

“That’s something I need.”

Lotor’s eyebrow shot up inquisitively, “For the festival?”

Ven’tar froze for a moment before turning and following down the path, “It’s...more for a personal matter.” 

_ A personal matter? _ Lotor thought to himself as he followed behind Ven’tar, carrying the vine in his hand. 

Ven’tar stopped near the edge of the path, taking in a deep breath before jumping out and grabbing onto the nearby tree. Lotor tensed up—watching her as she slowly made her way up the tree and towards the lowest hanging branch. Ven’tar pulled herself up and sat on top of the branch, carefully straddling it and gaining her balance before slowly moving herself forward.

Lotor felt uneasy watching her climb out over certain death—his stomach churning with each and every movement Ven’tar made as she reached the end of the branch. It was bowing under her weight, and almost reached the hummock already—but it wasn’t enough. Lotor watched helplessly as she hung herself by her legs on the branch, and all he could do was hold the vine she had entrusted him with. Lotor held his breath as he watched her reach even further—the strange mass almost within her grasp. 

_ Crack. _

Panic rose within Ven’tar as she desperately reached out one last time—failing to grab hold of the grey mass she was so heavily fixated on.

On the ground Lotor was beginning to feel a sense of panic himself once he heard that faint crack. He was unsure of what to do—if he used the boosters on his rockets he may be able to reach her, but they were only good for short bursts, not prolonged use. He could attempt to pull her with the vine—but if it broke.

_ Crack. _

Lotor didn’t waste another thought before using all the strength he could muster, yanking the vine that was wrapped around Ven’tar’s waist and jerking her towards him. Lotor staggered, nearly stepping off the path himself before eventually catching himself—and soon catching Ven’tar in his arms as she came flying towards him, crashing into him and forcing them both to the stone path below them.

In the distance the branch hung loosely before crashing into the hummock—plunging the grey mass deep within the nevm below.

Lotor held Ven’tar tight against himself as they both caught their breath. He never expected her to be so warm, so soft—he never imagined he would find himself wanting to keep her wrapped up tightly in his arms like this. His eyes widened slightly at this new found realization, but as soon as it came it was taken away as Ven’tar pushed herself out of his grasp, sitting on her knees in front of him and bowing.

“My deepest apologies prince Lotor I—I should have never—it was foolish—”

Lotor reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, running his thumb over it gently before speaking softly, “We’re both safe, that is all that matters.”

Ven’tar looked up at him, azure tears pooling in her eyes, “It’s just—when I saw the fariogi—”

“The substance that was out on the hummock?” 

Ven’tar nodded softly.

“What is so special about that faroigi—”

“Fariogi.”

“...fariogi plant?” Lotor asked.

“Well first—it’s not a plant it’s a punlagi,” Ven’tar replied.

“Punlagi?” 

“A type of organism that exists here on Anura’tar. Different types of punlagi are used towards different functions, and fariogi are used in…prosthetics...” Ven’tar trailed off quietly, avoiding his eyes as she explained the last part. Lotor had never heard of a biological prosthetic quite like this—something so organic. It was a technique the Galra could stand to use.

“And what would this fariogi do for your arms?” Lotor asked.

Ven’tar slowly ran one of her thin fingers up and down her arm and smiled sadly, “Fariogi acts like the nervous system—allowing for the sensation of touch to be more noticeable through the prosthetic.”

Lotor’s eyes widened, he didn’t know what to say, if there even  _ were _ any words he could say.

“It’s alright, fariogi has always been a difficult part to acquire,” Ven’tar looked out towards the branch that stuck out from the nevm, “and I was impatient…I should have came back better prepared than to have risked it all.”

Lotor watched Ven’tar stand up and turn towards him, reaching one of her hands out to help him up, “We should head back before night falls.”

Lotor noded, taking her hand and beginning to stand up only to be stopped by a sharp pain in his right ankle that brought a snarl from his throat and forced him to his knees.

“Where are you hurt?” Ven’tar asked, bending over as she looked at him with concern in her eyes.

“It seems I may have sprained my ankle,” Lotor said as he attempted to stand again.

Ven’tar shook her head and knelt in front of him, “Here, it’s my fault you’re hurt anyways.”

Lotor paused, unsure of her gesture.

“Unless—please don’t take offense prince Lotor I only—” Ven’tar began before  faint laughter interrupted her. She looked up to see Lotor, smiling softly at her.

“Offense? I don’t even know what you’re trying to  _ accomplish,  _ how could I be offended?” Lotor remarked watching the tension melt away from Ven’tar’s face as she returned his smile.

“Well—you’re hurt so I was offering to carry you,” Ven’tar explained quietly, unsure of how the Prince would respond.

Lotor’s eyes widened, this was not something he had ever been offered before. His father never carried him as a child, the Dayaks refused, believing it eroded discipline, and his mother—Lotor didn’t know if his mother ever even wanted him, let alone carried him. 

“Besides, there isn’t much time until night falls and you don’t know the path.”

Lotor let out a soft sigh and nodded. Ven’tar moved closer, letting him wrap his arms tightly around her neck. She hoisted him up, wrapping her arms around his legs and keeping him secured tight against her as she carefully stood up.

“Are you sure you’ll be able to do this?” Lotor asked, almost teasingly.

Ven’tar scoffed slightly and gave him a playful smile, “You would be surprised with how strong I am prince Lotor.”

Lotor let out a soft chuckle, resting his chin against his arm, watching the path unfold in front of them as they made their way back towards the city. He watched the light from the suns slowly begin to fade and the faint glow from the ever abundant moss began to replace it. The forests of Anura’tar truly were a beautiful sight—one that Lotor wished to preserve and maintain.

“Tell me Ven’tar, when does this Kua’ye’s festival begin?” Lotor inquired. 

Ven’tar quietly hummed to herself, thinking, “Usually the festival happens a few days after the initial glow.”

“Glow?”

“Yes, every year around the same time our liutima glow, signaling the beginning preparations of the festival,” Ven’tar explained.

Lotor nodded. He enjoyed feeling Ven’tar’s flesh pressed against his, a sensation he didn’t know he needed—didn’t know he would welcome so openly. 

Lotor noticed something as they continued down the stone path back towards Omuli—a faint glow emitting from Ven’tar. ”Ven’tar?”

“Yes prince Lotor?” Ven’tar spoke softly turning her head to look at him better. She didn’t seem to struggle under him as she continued down the path with him securely held on her back.

“How long do your people wait after the initial glow before hosting the festival?” Lotor asked.

“A few days, why do you ask?”

“I believe your liutima is glowing.” 

Ven’tar’s eyes widened and a large blush crept over her face, “That would make sense.”

Lotor smiled. He was glad to see this side of Ven’tar—a more relaxed side of her, “I believe this means the festival will be in a few days?”

“Yes it does prince Lotor,” Ven’tar replied. Lotor nodded. Soon they reached the outskirts of the city.

“I should be able to make it to my ship from here Ven’tar.” 

“Are you certain?” Ven’tar asked, unsure about setting him down quite yet.

“Yes I am certain. Besides you have carried me far enough,” Lotor stated. 

Ven’tar set him down gently. She could tell his ankle was still bothering him by the way he shifted his weight to the opposite leg. Her eyes filled with concern, “Take care of yourself prince Lotor.”

“Of course Ven’tar. Peaceful slumbers.” Lotor smiled at her, and she quickly returned the gesture.

“Peaceful slumbers prince Lotor.” Ven’tar bowed and turned, disappearing off into the distance. Lotor let out a soft sigh as he turned towards the direction of his ship, slowly limping towards it. Above all else he hoped that his ankle would be healed in time for the festivities—however that would mean actually stopping to rest, a word the Prince was unfamiliar with, but he was determined to find a way.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading~! I hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to future installments to ‘What One Year Brings’
> 
> If you have any questions [my Tumblr is here](https://legendofcarl.tumblr.com/)
> 
> 💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚


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